Holding device for passenger seats and passenger seating system with flexible seating arrangement for means of passenger transport

Abstract

A holding device is provided for fastening passenger seats in a means of passenger transport and a corresponding passenger seating system. The holding device comprises a seat leg fixing element, a sliding element and a rail element. The seat leg fixing element is designed to receive a seat leg of a passenger seat. The sliding element is provided on the opposite side of the holding device to the seat leg fixing element and is designed to be inserted in a seat rail located on the floor of the means of passenger transport. The rail element is provided on the same side as the seat leg fixing element and is designed to receive and fix a sliding element of an additional holding device. The holding device is provided on a front seat leg and the additional holding device is provided on a rear seat leg of a folding passenger seat.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A holding device for fastening passenger seats in a means of passenger transport, said holding device comprising:
 a seat leg fixing element that receives a front seat leg of a passenger seat; 
 a sliding element inserted into a seat rail on the means of passenger transport, the sliding element being provided on the opposite side of the holding device to the seat leg fixing element; 
 a rail element provided on the same side as the seat leg fixing element, 
 wherein the rail element receives and fixes a sliding element of an additional holding device that receives a rear seat leg of the passenger seat such that in the stored state, the additional holding device with the rear seat leg is in a higher position than in the used state to permit a more upright position and reduce the space taken up by the passenger seat in the stored state. 
 
     
     
       2. The holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rail element is substantially the same as the seat rail of the means of passenger transport. 
 
     
     
       3. The holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rail element has an undercut profile. 
 
     
     
       4. A passenger seating system with a flexible seating arrangement for a means of passenger transport, said passenger seating system comprising:
 a holding device including a seat leg fixing element, a sliding element on an opposite side of the holding device to the seat leg fixing element, and a rail element provided on the same side as the seat leg fixing element; 
 a seat rail which is arranged on the means of passenger transport; 
 a folding passenger seat with a front seat leg and a rear seat leg; 
 a first fastening element on the front seat leg and a second fastening element on the rear seat leg; 
 one of the first and second fastening elements being fixed in the seat leg fixing element of the holding device; 
 the sliding element of the holding device being engaged with the seat rail; 
 the other of the first and second fastening elements being fixed in a seat leg fixing element of an additional holding device; 
 the rail element of the holding device that receives and fixes a sliding element of the additional holding device that receives the rear seat leg of the passenger seat such that in the stored state, the additional holding device with the rear seat leg is in a higher position than in the used state to permit a more upright position and reducing the space taken up by the passenger seat in the stored state. 
 
     
     
       5. The passenger seating system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the folding passenger seat includes a seat frame. 
 
     
     
       6. The passenger seating system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the folding passenger seat is designed to adopt a usable state in which the holding device and the additional holding device are positioned in the seat rail. 
 
     
     
       7. The passenger seating system according to  claim 6 , wherein the folding passenger seat adopts a stored state in which the sliding element of the additional holding device is positioned in the rail element of the holding device. 
     
     
       8. The passenger seating system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the holding device and the additional holding device are the same. 
 
     
     
       9. The passenger seating system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first fastening element is fixed in the seat leg fixing element of the holding device and the second fastening element is fixed in the seat leg fixing element of the additional holding device. 
 
     
     
       10. An aircraft, comprising:
 a passenger cabin with a cabin floor; 
 a seat rail coupled to the cabin floor; 
 a passenger seating system coupled to the seat rail, the passenger seating system including:
 a folding passenger seat with a front seat leg and a rear seat leg; 
 
 a holding device having a seat leg fixing element, a sliding element on an opposite side of the holding device to the seat leg fixing element, the sliding element of the holding device being engaged with the seat rail, and a rail element provided on the same side as the seat leg fixing element; 
 an additional holding device; and 
 a first fastening element on the front seat leg and a second fastening element on the rear seat leg, with one of the first and second fastening elements being fixed in the seat leg fixing element of the holding device and the other of the first and second fastening elements being fixed in a seat leg fixing element of the additional holding device, 
 wherein the rail element of the holding device receives and fixes a sliding element of the additional holding device that receives the rear seat leg of the passenger seat such that in the stored state, the additional holding device with the rear seat leg is in a higher position than in the used state that permits a more upright position and reducing the space taken up by the passenger seat in the stored state. 
 
     
     
       11. A method for transforming a folding passenger seat of a passenger seating system from a usable state to a stored state, the method comprising the steps of:
 releasing an additional holding device which is connected to a rear seat leg of the folding passenger seat from a seat rail; 
 swivelling the rear seat leg around a first joint element; 
 positioning and fixing a sliding element of the additional holding device in a rail element of a holding device such that in the stored state, the additional holding device with the rear seat leg is in a higher position than in the used state that permits a more upright position and reducing the space taken up by the passenger seat in the stored state. 
 
     
     
       12. The passenger seating system according to  claim 5 , further comprising a first joint element arranged between at least one of the front seat leg and the seat frame and between the rear seat leg and the seat frame such that the spacing between the first fastening element and the second fastening element is variable. 
     
     
       13. The passenger seating system according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the folding passenger seat adopts a seat spacing of a maximum of 11 inches from at least one of an adjacent front seat and an adjacent rear seat in the stored state. 
 
     
     
       14. The aircraft according to  claim 10 , wherein the rail element is the same as the seat rail. 
     
     
       15. The aircraft according to  claim 10 , wherein the rail element has an undercut profile.